Launching on Thursday 23rd March 2023 is the FREE, new interactive exhibition set out over 10,000 sq. foot. This is where Cornwall’s rich milling history is brought to life in an exciting way, right in the heart of Cornwall.
The new exhibition which will be open seven days a week from 10am-4pm shows off the original, ingenious machines, artefacts and methods millers worked to harvest precious Cornish tin. Dervla Jarratt, Managing Director at Cornwall Gold, said: “We have always been committed to keeping Tolgus Mill alive. Tolgus Mill has been in action since 1865 and as the last original tin streaming works in Europe, our on-going renovation work is vital. The new Tolgus exhibition is a further step towards the regeneration and preservation of the site’s historic heritage.”
This exhibition tells the story of Tolgus & Cornwall’s rich milling past. You will get a close look at the machines and processes used to extract the smallest particles of tin from local mining waste – from huge stamping machines that crush the rocks, shaking tables that separate the tin ore, to the purifying process of assaying and smelting black tin ore into white tin ingots.
The exhibition also explores the human stories behind the milling industry. Undoubtedly, safer than Cornwall’s underground mines, yet to wander through the exhibition and the mill is to be reminded of just how hard and dangerous the work could be. Men, women and even children all worked in these noisy, dusty, dirty and wet conditions. “Kids that visit us are amazed by the harsh conditions, and all of a sudden, going to school seems that much more appealing!” says Dervla Jarratt.
“We are delighted that this new initiative will help us secure Tolgus Mill’s future by taking visitors and our communities through the process of tin streaming and smelted on-site to create exquisite Cornish jewellery. By incorporating our tin into silver and gold jewellery and reinvesting the proceeds back into the mill, we are sustainably protecting and maintaining Tolgus Mill, ensuring its future is safeguarded.”
